May 08, 2018

Android How To Guide (100 Tips) | Phandroid. Yes, you too can practice law on a Smartphone! You can check your email, read and reply to text messages, do real legal research, keep your calendar, make a record of your time, answer and make phone calls, and just about anything you could do at a desk in an office. Document processing, creation and distribution can be challenging on a small Android device, however, and, while it can be done, you should stick with a laptop and printer for real document creation. But, before you can do all that, you need to learn how to use the Smartphone efficiently. This how to guide will get you started. Relax, once you become comfortable with the phone, you will find this stuff easy. Now, go buy that Android phone.

April 28, 2018

Files Go by Google: Free up space on your phone - Apps on Google Play. For many of us, Saturday is the day of the week we spend some time cleaning; whether it be the garage or the house. It is also a good day to clean up those detritus laden devices we call smartphones and tablets and computers. Our smartphones are with us all the time, and are used all the time. Like any computer, they can become bloated with useless files, and run slowly. If you have a few minutes, download FilesGo and clean up your phone. It will thank you.

April 27, 2018

6 Easy Opt-Outs to Protect Your Privacy - Consumer Reports. The recent Facebook data mining scandal caused quite a stir. However, the blame for the scandal wasn't spread around enough. We, dear reader, are as responsible for the sharing of our personal data as the companies that mined it and used it. There are ways to keep your personal data from spreading all over the place on the Internet. But, you have to be proactive. I would add to this list by Consumer Reports, by saying that you shouldn't play games on the Internet that ask for personal information. Don't tell people the names of your mother, father and every other relative. Be careful about any email or web game that asks for personal information. This list is more of a list of websites that governments and corporations have set up to allow you to opt out of their information gathering and dissemination. Some of them, I don't mind. For instance, I don't mind getting the catalogs and brochures for products I am interested in. Some marketing pays for the Internet, and should be encouraged. But, if you have a different view, you can opt out. Just don't ask me my mother's maiden name online.

March 22, 2018

Don't Delete Facebook%u2014Just Be Smarter on Facebook. Facebook really is as varied and complex as real life. In fact, the recent scandal about Facebook selling our data and information has propelled a knee jerk "delete Facebook" meme, as a way to stick it to the man. Please. Our personal data is out there; at least, to the extent we have given it out. Your mom was right: "Don't say anything you wouldn't want to see on the front page of the newspaper". I like keeping in touch with family and friends. I like being able to get my message out there. So, I only post what I WANT the world to see. If I want to have a private conversation, I use a method of communication that is encrypted and "private". So, don't delete your Facebook account. Figure out the ways to keep your information secure. Then, use them. And, remember, mom was always right.

March 16, 2018

Stop telephoning me-eh-eh-eh-eh: robocalls explained - Malwarebytes Labs | Malwarebytes Labs. We all get them. The phone rings, the number looks legitimate, and, as soon as you pick up the phone, a recorded voice tries to sell you a website, or vacation property, or whatever. The worst are the calls from a political campaign just before an election. On what planet do these political consultants live? I am not political, and ban politics from my blog and social media; but, I actively keep a record of the candidates who robocall me. Then, I vote for the other candidate. If both of them, do it, I write in someone. I am definitely going to take a look at Nomorobo, the app mentioned in this article. I have tried TrueCaller; but, it has become way too intrusive itself. To marketers, I say "I will never buy your product or service or vote for your candidate". Maybe, if we all take the pledge, these people will stop annoying us. Jeez.

March 09, 2018

Microsoft bringing multi-tab interface to File Explorer in Windows 10 - CNET. Later this year, File Explorer will get tabs at the top to make it easier to move files around. Does anybody care? Most of us are perfectly happy with the drop down file lists, from which we can click and drag files around on the machine. Windows Explorer is perfectly capable of locating any file, and the use of the free Search Everything tool I have written about in the past, can instantly find any file. How do you manipulate the files on your system? Does a multi-tab Explorer interface make your life easier?

March 08, 2018

Hidden Tricks Inside Windows 10 | PCMag.com. There are a lot of cool tricks in this article that you can use with Windows 10 (or previous versions, if you like); but, the disappearing Windows trick is my favorite. If you don't know about it, you aren't alone, and it is just one of many things that can be fun with Windows. For this trick, I will need a volunteer from the audience. You, sir or madam, please sit before your screen. Now, guide your mouse cursor all the way to the bottom right of your screen. No, farther than that. There. Now, do you see the almost invisible sliver of screen on the TaskBar all the way to the right lower corner? Click on it, and, poof, all your Windows disappear and you are looking at a clean desktop. If you are doing some NSFW stuff on your computer, this will come in handy if the boss is around.

March 06, 2018

How to Keep Your Devices%u2019 Batteries Alive As Long As Possible. Rule Number One. If your battery is bulging out of your laptop, replace it. Phones aren't the only device catching on fire these days. Batteries contain acid, and bad things can happen when you run electricity through them. Never let them degrade below 20% without putting them on a charger. Carry battery chargers with you; there are many that are light and easy to carry around. Unfortunately, many device manufacturers have eschewed the removable battery for style and thinness in their phones. Can't fight progress, I guess. In any event, read this article. It doesn't really give any long term solutions; but, it will alert you to the fact that you need to be conscious of your battery at all times. Charge on.

March 05, 2018

GoodSync Landing: Enterprise A. One of the most useful pieces of software on my computer is GoodSync. While I am a believer in regular imaging of whole computer drives, in order to retrieve a computer that has crashed, it is more important to synchronize and backup all important documents, financial files and documents, photos, and other stuff we accumulate in our lives. For $29.95, GoodSync automates this process into a painless 5 to 15 minute activity that can be running while you are doing other things, in the background. I have every legal docoument, photograph, general document, invoice, financial report or document, and others, backed up to a rolling series of devices, including a MicroSD chip, a USB drive, a large 4 Terabye SSD, and I routinely run GoodSync to keep all of those files current. What's in your backup?

Lawyer,Poet, author, educator. Practices real property, corporation, wills, trusts and estates law in Pinellas County, Florida. Writes the FutureLawyer column. Gives seminars on technology and the law. Author of "Life is Simple, Really", Poems about Life, Loving, Family and Fun.